The Office of the Public Defender and Citizens’ Rights Commission (PDCRC), Kogi State, has solicited the support of the State Broadcasting Corporation for the promotion, protection and enforcement of fundamental human rights of residents of the state.

The Director General of Kogi PDCRC, Barr. Abdullahi Zakari, made the request when he led a team of lawyers from the Commission to an advocacy visit to the office of Director General of Kogi Broadcasting Corporation, Alh. Hassan Ojo Oyila, on Friday in Lokoja.

Zakari said that the visit was to seek collaboration with the media corporation in the area of public enlightenment and sensitisation about PDCRC’s activities in the state.

Zakari noted that the Governor, signed into law, the bill establishing Kogi PDCRC Law, 2018, on 3rd June, 2019, giving meaning to access to justice as a key instrument in the enforcement of human rights in Kogi State.

According to Zakari, the PDCRC provides free legal aid and representations in civil and criminal matters in all Courts, and other related services to indigent and vulnerable residents of Kogi, who could not afford the service of legal practitioners.

He added that the commission also promote, protect and ensuring the enforcement of human rights for Kogi residents guaranteed under Chapter Four (4) of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As amended).

He noted that the commission effectively commenced operations in October, 2019, and in spite the overwhelming challenges, had made modest achievements that had impacted immensely in the lives of Kogi residents as far as fundamental human rights are concerned.

He, therefore urged the corporation to create an airtime between 30 to 45 minutes on its radio stations, to enable the commission reachout to the general public and sensitise them about PDCRC’s activities.

He also urged the broadcasting corporation to continue to give extensive coverage to the commission’s programmes and activities, stressing the importance of working together as state government’s agencies.

Zakari further commended Kogi Commissioner for Information and Communcations, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, for his strong support for the commission, and urged him to do more.

In his response, the Director General of Kogi Broadcasting Corporation, Alh. Hassan Ojo Oyila, commended PDCRC for the selfless task to protect the rights and privileges of the citizens without discrimination to the admiration of all.

Oyila described Kogi broadcasting corporation as a public spirited one saddled with the responsibility of disseminated genuine, undiluted and unifying information to the public.

”We shall extend our services to your body in your efforts and activities to defend and protect civic and legitimate rights of the less privileged and the entire general public.

”Our doors and windows of opportunity are widely opened to your body, to protect and popularise your activities to the benefit of all.

”Therefore, you request for airtime is approved, and we are going to start with 30 minutes, so that you can tell the public the enormous responsibilities you are discharging to the citizens of Kogi State”, Oyila said.

Oyila further assured that the corporation would also produce jingles using the flyers of the commission that would be run from time to time on their radion stations to inform the public about the PDCRC’s services and location.

He also commended the Governor and the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ibrahim Sanni Muhammed SAN, for the establishment of PDCRC and the immense transformation in the state justice sector.

In his vote of thanks, Barr. Idris Onogo, on behalf of the commission, thanked the director general of the corporation for receiving them despite his tight schedule, and granting their request.

The highlight of the visit was the presentation of the copies of PDCRC’s public enlightenment flyers to the director general of the corporation, by Barr. Zakari on behalf of his team.

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The Kogi State Office of the Public Defender and Citizens’ Rights Commission (PDCRC), has urged relevant stakeholders in the administration of justice to prevent violent extremism and protect enforcement of fundamental human rights in the state.

The Director General of PDCRC, Barr. Abdullahi Zakari, made the call the on Wednesday in Lokoja, at a two-day training for Lawyers, Law Enforcement Officers and Social Welfare Workers, orgsnised by Kogi PDCRC in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria.

Zakari noted that the theme of the training, ”Providing Enabling Environment For The Prevention Of Violent Extremism And The Role of Public Defender’, was aimed to strengthen’ promote, protect and enforce human rights in Kogi.

He enjoined the participants to ensure promotion and protection of human rights, and work towards protecting the people especially the indigents, less privilege, disabilities and the vulnerable in the state,

The director general assured that the good people of Kogi would continue to have direct access to justice especially the indigents, vulnerable, poor and the less privilege, who cannot afford the services of a lawyer.

Zakari stressed that the establishment of Kogi PDCRC was a strong commitment on the part of Gov. Yahaya Bello, to see that the ordinary citizens of this state have access to justice through proper legal representation.

Zakari said the commission in the short span of its existence, had made some modest achievements, such as prison decongestion, massive awareness campaigns through visit to critical stakeholders in the administration of justice sector, among others.

He added that it was a continuous process and emphasised the need for all hands to be on deck to do the right things at the right time.

Also speaking, the Kogi State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ibrahim Sanni Muhammed SAN, said the State Government was committed to ensuring that citizens have access to justice especially the less privilege.

He said that Kogi was among the first set of States that enacted Administration of Criminal Justice Law, for speedy dispensation of criminal justice in the state.

‘He added that the establishment of Kogi PDCRC was a further demonstration of the state government to the value of access to justice, particularly for the less privilege.

He noted that as a fall out of the ENDSARS Protests Kogi was the first State to establish a Human Rights Special Intervention Group (HRSIG) under PDCRC, to receive and rapidly resolve complaints bordering of brutality by law enforcement agencies.

Muhammed, who was represented by Mrs Hawa Yusufu, the State’s Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Kogi Ministry of Justice, emphasised that Kogi had done a lot in strengthening the enforcement of human rights laws in the state.

He assured that Kogi Government would continue to work hard to scale up the capacity of human resource, particularly the lawyers and other relevant stakeholders in the administration of criminal justice sector.

On his part, Mr Anicetus Atakpu, the Resilience Programme Coordinator, ActionAid Nigeria, commended Kogi State Government for the establishment of PDCRC, aimed at promoting, protecting and enforcing human rights in the state.

He stressed that ActionAid was happy with the steps Kogi Government had taken in ensuring enforcement of human rights, hence the need to partner with PDCRC to train the relevant stakeholders in the sector.

According to Atakpu, no fewer than 60 participants are participating in the seminar which comprised of Lawyers, selected from PDCRC, Legal Aid Council, MoJ, NBA, Magistrates; Police, DSS, NSCDC, officials of Correctional Centre, among others.

Atakpu assured that ActionAid would continue to support and encourage Kogi PDCRC to strengthening the enforcement of fundamental human rights in the state.

One of participants, Ajuma Lilian Okolo, the Chairperson of FIDA in Kogi, commended the PDCRC and ActionAid for the partnership, saying it would go a long way to impacting the lives of the people especially the underserved.

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